Mooshka dolls

This week we have got new treat for all doll lovers.

Girls will love this one. Moms and grandmothers as well as it is easy and fast project to do and doll is not a small one and has no tiny pieces to sew or work with. I find it real treat for big and small ones and all thanks to Kathy from Facebook group who asked for the pattern to be created for her granddaughter.

Here are two of my Mooshka dolls I made while working on the pattern.Will not talk to much but will leave you with the pattern and few more photos of dolls. For any questions you might need while working on this little cute one, please feel free to contact me and ask.

To give you better presentation on how doll looks like when done, tried to make photos from side and back view as well. It is flat doll, very much looking alike a rag doll. As you can see eyes on this doll above is painted. She is second one I made. First one I have made with crocheted eyes.I have written you down how to make crocheted eyes as well. Also tried to give you as many details as possible on how to make eyes and what size to use when painting them, making them in felt or using safety ones.

Mooshka dolls can be made in any yarn of your choice with matching hook to go with it. Finished doll size when worked with DK (medium weight yarn) with 2,5 mm hook (as dolls you can see on the photo) are 26cm tall (10.24 in).

Materials needed:

Yarns of your choice for body, hair and dress

The rest of the doll (legs and dress) can be made with leftover yarns to make Mooshka as colorful as possible.

Matching hook

Stuffing

Ribbons, buttons, beads….anything you can imagine or like to decorate Mooshka’s dress, head, shoes.

Emboidery thread to crochet the eyes or textile paint if you would rather paint them.

If you prefer safety eyes, find one that will fit the size 5×5 stitches of your gauge (what will depend of yarn and hook you will use. Make small piece 10 sts x10 rows and find the adequate eyes based on that. Important is that eyes do not exceed 5×5 stitches).

Sl st. last to first chain made, ch1 (this is our last round with sl.st, ch1 work, from now on continue in continuous rounds)

R1 Sc next5, count backwards 15 stitches and stitch across. We will make arm here and continue working in continuous rounds with 15 sts (when encounter sl st, ch1, skip both stitches and continue in next sc making 15 sc round count

R2-R21 Sc15

Somewhere at rounds 19-21 you can change color in order to create bracelet (it is optional)

R22 Two cluster sts with 3dc in the next two sc , sc13 (15 sts)

R23 *dec1, sc1* x5 (10 sts)

R24 Sc10

R25 Dec5 (5 sts)

Tie off and sew the last row closing it nicely. Hide the thread inside arm area.

Next arm:

Count 15 sts around the opposite end, slip stitch two opposite stitches and continue stitching 15 in rounds same as with first arm

Repeat R2-R25 above (arm forming)

Note! When reaching R22 of this, second arm making. Pay attention to where the cluster stitch will be. It should face the inner arm side.

I didn’t have problems with any of the arms and this finger making, as I started to create arm under arm area. This way, to make thumb was on both hands first stitches to start with on R22.

Body

Even though there are 30 sts left for the body to continue with, we will stitch corner stitches as well (to close the gaps under arms) and make 34 sts round.

Start body making the first stitch under arm stitch (this you will achieve by stitching front and back corners stitches first. Saying this, as it will make the body look nicer, when we start decreasing and increasing two stitches on each side to shape the doll’s body.

R1 slip stitch to one of the corner stitches, to start with and sc 34 sts around body part, stitching 4 of the corner stitches as well (34 sts)

R2 Sc34

R3 Dec1, sc15, dec1, sc15 (32 sts)

(if your first dec is not under arm and you lost this count, adjust the first stitch of this round to fit the pattern)

R4 Dec1, sc14, dec1, sc14 (30 sts)

R5 Inc1, sc14, inc1, sc14 (32 sts)

R6 Inc1, sc15, inc1, sc15 (34 sts)

R7 Inc1, sc16, inc1, sc16 (36 sts)

R8 Inc1, sc17, inc1, sc17 (38 sts)

R9 Inc1, sc18, inc1, sc18 (40 sts)

Change color for panties

R10 Inc1, sc19, inc1, sc19 (42 sts)

R11-R16 Sc42

R17 *Dec1, sc5* x6 (36 sts)

Stuff the body nice and firm. We will add more and finish stuffing before closing last round. Tie off leaving long end for sewing the body and legs.

First we will sew the body.

Flatten the body (if few stitches are needed to reach the end⁄corner stitch when body is flattened and ready to sew, sc those few stitches)

Using embroidery needle, sew the last round with whip stitch using just front loops to (this will close the round nice and give it even closure).

Before sewing it completely, add more stuffing if needed.

Legs x2

Ch6

R1 Sc4, 2sc in one stitch, work around chain, sc3, 2sc in one st (12 sts)

Flatten the leg opening on the top making sure when flattened fingers and heal are pointing right directions and leg is not flattened sideways.

Sc8 stitches stitching through both sides of the top leg piece, closing the leg this way and making it ready to be attached to the body.

Tie off leaving long end for hiding it in the leg or doll’s body later.

Hair

Color of your choice

Hair is done in rows. After each row ch1 and turn

Sc5 in magic ring

R1 inc5 (10 sts)

R2 *inc1, sc1* x5 (15 sts)

R3 *inc1, sc2* x5 (20 sts)

R4 *inc1, sc3* x5 (25 sts)

R5 *inc1, sc4* x5 (30 sts)

R6 *inc1, sc5* x5 (35 sts)

R7 *inc1, sc6* x5 (40 sts)

R8-R17 Sc40

R18 dec1, sc36 dec1 (38 sts)

R19 dec1, sc34, dec1 (36 sts)

R20 dec1, sc32, dec1, (34 sts)

R21 dec1, sc30, dec1, (32 sts)

R22 dec1, sc28, dec1 (30 sts)

R23 dec1, sc26, dec1, (28 sts)

R24 dec1, sc24, dec1 (26 sts)

R25 dec1, sc22, dec1, (24 sts)

R26 dec1, sc20, dec1 (22 sts)

R27 dec1, sc18, dec1, (20 sts)

Chain one and stitch side of the hair piece made (looking at the piece, you will continue stitching upwards, towards the magic ring made at start)

sc1 in magic ring. Ch11, slip stitch 10 to chain just made, sc1 in magic ring again, ch11, sl st 10 to chain just made, continue with sc on the other side of the hair, sl st last, tie off and leave long end for sewing the hair to the head later.

Pony tails can be made many ways.

We can add tassels on sides, crochet buns…you can place them on sides or upper on the head.

Simple buns (blue haired doll)

Sc6 in magic ring

R1 inc6 (12 sts)

R2 sc12

R3 *inc, sc1* x6 (18 sts)

R4-R6 sc18

R7 *dec1, sc1* x6 (12 sts)

Stuff the bun well

R8 *dec1, sc1* x4 (8 sts)

Tie off leaving long end for sewing the bun to the hair later.

Longer buns (orange haired doll)

Sc6 in magic ring

R1 *inc1, sc1* x3 (9 sts)

R2 sc9

R3 *dec1, sc1* x3 (6 sts)

Stuff the first part

R4 inc6 (12 sts)

R5-R7 sc12

R8 dec6 (6 sts)

Stuff second ball

R9 inc6 (12 sts)

R10 *inc1, sc1* x6 (18 sts)

R11-R12 sc18

R13 *dec1, sc1* x6 (12 sts)

R14 dec6 (6 sts)

Stuff, cut the thread leaving long end for sewing

Dress

Ch29

Sc28

Ch2, turn, inc1, dc1…around (42 sts)

Dc42

Inc1, dc2 … around (56 sts)

Dc56

Back loops only, sc8, skip12, sc16, skip12 sc8 (32 sts)

Sc32

Ch2m turn in1, dc1…around (48 sts)

Dc48

Ch2, turn, inc1, dc2…around (64 sts)

Sl st sides and continue to work in rounds

Ch2, dc64 x5

Change color

Ch2, skip one, sl st in next, ch2, skip one, sl st in next…around

Eyes and creating dolls face

Mooshka in white dress has crocheted eyes. I made those with embroidery thread and 1,25 mm hook. You have to keep in mind that I also worked with medium weight yarn and 2,5 hook. If you have worked with heavier yarn and bigger hook, you might end up experimenting with the right eye size and what thread to use to make them.

To make eyes looking as similar as to Mooshka, they should not exceed the size of 5×5 stitches (on the head). Don’t feel discouraged, but give it a try with different threads or yarns to reach the right size to make eyes.

If this you will find to complicated you can always make eyes with felt pieces or paint them what will make them as beautiful and easier to do.

Crocheted eyes:

With black embroidery thread

Sc8 in magic ring, slip stitch last to first st in back loop of the stitch

Change color for the iris. Let it be one of bright, strong colors in blue, green or brown

Work in back loops only – Ch2, dc1 in same st where sl st made, 2dc in each of the following 7 sts (16 sts)

Add white to sides of each eye through over 4 stitches making slip stitch, 2sc and ending with sl st. (finish off nice and hide ends on the back side of the eye.

For the eye lashes I uses starting and ending thread from making the pupil. Instead of hiding them I placed them on side, fixing them to stay with tiny bit of glue before sewing them on the head.

For sewing the eyes I used so called invisible thread.

Place the eyes between rounds 15 and 19 leaving 8 stitches between them.

Once you sew them or glue them on the head take finest black marker you can find and color the back loops of the outer eye circle. This way you will round the eyes and make them doll looking.

You can embroider the black circle around eyes, but use fine black thread to do it.

You can embroider or paint the eyelashes and lips.

Embroider the nose in the middle of eye area, one round lower (that would be in between rounds 19 and 20). Use two horizontal stitches for embroidering the nose.

Place the lips two rounds below the nose.

Eyebrows somewhere on the third round upper from the eyes.

Use little blush to dolls cheeks (or if you are painting the details, use pink paint for the cheeks as well).

Hi, i enjoy your dolls to much, thankz for sharing your expertise. I am in the process of doing the Mooshka doll but i have difficulties on the step of closing the body and attach it to the legs. I wander if you have any ilustration or picture on that step and you be so kind to share it with me. Thankz in advance. Yayi,

Darla, you simply wave the nose on with needle and same color yarn used to make head.
If you want very tiny nose, wave it over one stitch, 4-5 times. For little bigger button, go over 2 stitches. It is simple as this. If you still need help, let me know and will send you photo on how it’s done